Macerator for fruit



(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 1.

.0. B.DAV1D S0N. MAGERATOR POR FRUIT, 65o.

No. 525,004. Patented Au. 8 1894.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-j-Sllee't 2. OLE. DAVIDSON. MAGBRTOR FOR FRUIT, &c.

No.V 5250014,v

' vPaiellted A'ug. 28,' 1894.

' UNITED STATES PATENT GEEICE.

`orIs E'. DAv1DsoN,hoE NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE.

MAcERAToR Fon F'RUIT, 0o.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 525,04, dated August 28, 1894.

Application filed November 6, 1893. Serial No. 490,064- (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, Oris E. DAVIDSON, of Nashville, in the county of Davidson and State of Tennessee, have invented certain' new and. useful Improvements in Macerators for Fruit, dac.; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon. t

This invention relates to improvements in machlnes for lmaking cider from apples, &c., embodying a grinding or macerating mechanism. Practical machines of this kind as heretofore constructed have been heavy and expensive and it is one o f theprincipal objects of this invention to provide a simple and efcient machine at an extremely low cost, and of such character as to be readily operated in a small space and with the expenditure of little power.

.Referring to the accompanying drawings: Flgure l is a side elevation ofacomplete apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a..longitudinal section through the same. Fig. 3 is afront elevation of the grinder or macerator. Fig. 4 is a section through the same taken at right angles to Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective of the grinding cylinder, showing the cam for vibrating the hopper, casing and also the slot in the rear faceof the hopper in which the cam works.

Similar letters of reference in the several figures indicate the same parts.

In carrying out this invention, I preferably `provide a base board, such as that lettered A in the drawings, adapted to be mounted on a bench or stand and to receive bot-h the mechanism for grinding the apples and the crate in which the pressing is done. At the lower end of the base, for it should be placed on a slight incline, its upper surface is properly channeled to conduct the cider or juice away, and further, a molding A preferably extends around this portion of the base to catch the juice which might otherwise escape over the edge of the base. A crate such as B in which the macerated fruit is placed as soon as macerated is placed in convenient position, as j ust specified, and it preferably contains the mechanism for expressing the juice.

On the upper end ofthe base is rigidly mounted the frame C carrying the grinding or macerating mechanism. This frame C is relatively tall, and about half way up, is provided with a bearing c inwhiych is journaled a shaft D'having rigidly axed thereon `the grinding or macerating cylinder E. The latter is preferably, but not necessarily made conical with the larger endl open for the escape of the pomace, the latter being ground off and forced through the openings in advance of each of the teeth on the cylinder. A cheap construction, and as shown, consists in forming the cylinder of perforated sheet metal with the edges 0f the perforations turned up to form teeth for grinding the apple off and simultaneously forcing it through the perforations. l

Surrounding the macerating cylinder `is a casing F the upper portion of which serves as a hopper for grinding the apples to the cylinder and conveying the refuse away, while permitting the pomace to escape through the large central opening in the hinged front f.

The hopper casing F is pivotally supported preferably on a bolt G near the top so as to be capable of an oscillation transversely of the axis of the cylinder and in order to secure a regular oscillation which will cause the apples to feed regularly anddischarge the refuse, as will presently appear, the rear wall or face of the casing is slotted as at H for the passage of the cylinder shaft, and a cam H2 on said shaftworks in the slot, hence as the shaft rotates, the cam engaging the walls of the slot will force the casing first in one direction and then in the other.

At the top of the hopper casing, the inclined wall h is provided with ribs h and the apples held by these ribs will be forced up against the cylinder as the casing oscillates toward the cylinder, and allowed to feed down-as it moves out. This it is found, gives an extremely rapid feed and the apples arekept from dancing or jumping about while being macerated, a difficulty not easily overcome in this class of machinery. Furthermore, the

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portions of the apples not cut by the teeth, such as the core, decayed parts and a large proportion of the skin, feed down outside of the cylinder and escape through an opening I at the bottom of the casing. v

In order to prevent the escape of the valuable portions of the apple through the discharge opening at the bottom, as the casing moves out, a stationary plate K is secured to the frame immediately beneath the opening and so as to leave only a narrow opening for the escape of the parts of the apple mentioned. The edge of the stationary plate K is toothed to catch and hold the pieces until all the meat of the apple is ground olf into the cylinder. This arrangement enables me to separate the best and inferior qualities of pomace by providing separate receptacles, or allowing the inferior material to fall outside of the receptacle. A balance wheel L secured by a thumb screw Z on the outer end of the cylinder shaft and provided with a crank handle Z2 serves as a means for rotating the macerating cylinder. On top of the hopper casing, a supplemental hopper M may be placed to receive a large quantity of apples which Will feed down as those at the bottom are ground into pomace.

In operation, it Will be understood, the apples are placed in the hopper and the grind ing cylinder rotated in the proper direction' to cause them to be ground or cut up ready for thepressing operation. As the cylinder rotates it givesfthehopper casing an oscillat ing movement thereby alternately increasing' the opening down and diminishing the size of Which the apples feed, causing them to feed with greatrapidity, leaving the refuse matter on the outside Where it Works down between the cylinder and casing and isdischarged from the bottom opening as before described. The ribs on the side of the casing grip the apples and prevent them from dancing about and the ribs N in the end of the casing guide theapples away from the base of the cylinder causing them to be times. The ground apples or pomace is discharged through the open end of the cylin der and opening in the front of the casing andv any form of receiver may be provided for it. After a sufficient quantity is it is dumped into the crate.

To clean the grinder, it is only necessary to open the hinged front which is held closed by the turn button p, remove the iiy Wheel and draw the cylinder and its shaft out thereby giving access to all the interior parts of the device.

Obviously the particular form of cutting or maceratingvteeth on the cylinder is quite immaterial, and any ofthe ordinary forms may be employed, but I prefer teeth which will cause the ground material to feed through. into the interior of the cylinder as it isground` or cut.

:theframe secured thereon properly presented at all ground,

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. In a mill, the combination with the frame, the casing having the discharge openings in the front and bottom respectively and the feed or hopper opening at the top, of the foraminous macerating or cutting cylinder having its end open and registering with the opening in thefront of the casing with means for rotating said cylinder, and the tooth-edged plate at the bottom opening of the casing for holding pieces of apple in contact with the cylinder until reduced; substantially as described.

2. In a mill, the combination With the frame, the foraminous inacerating cylinder journaled therein and having the open end, of the casing surrounding the cylinder, pivoted at the upper end to the frame and having the slot in. the rear face and discharge opening at the bottom, the shaft for the cylinder passing Vthrough the slot in the casing and the cam on the shaft cooperating With the Walls of the slot 4to oscillare the casing; substantially as described.

3. In a mill, the combination with the frame and macerating cylinder journaled therein, of the oscillatory casing around the cylinder having the discharge opening at the bottom and the stationary plate over said opening for holding the pieces which pass around the cylinder against the same until reduced; slib- Vstantially as described.

4. 'In a mill, the combination with the frame and macerating cylinder journaled therein, of the oscillatory casing'around the cylinder, having the discharge opening at the bottom and the stationary plate over said opening having the toothed edge for holding the pieces .Which pass around the cylinder; substantially as described.

5. 'In a mill, the combination with the base, and having the central bearing, the shaft journaled in said bearing, the conical macerating cylinder on -theshaft at one end and the removable Iiy Wheel and handle on the opposite end of the shaft, of the casing pivotally connected With ythe frame at the upper end surrounding'the cylinder and having the discharge openings in front and bottom and the slot in thefrear side, the cam on 'the shaft lying in the slot for oscillating the casing and a toothed plate at the bottom discharge opening; substantially as described.

v6. In amill, the combination With the rotary macerating cylinder, of the oscillatory'hopper casing having the transverse ribs on the side and longitudinal ribs on the end and a driving mechanism for oscillating the casing; substantially as described.

OTIS E. DAVIDSON. Witnesses:

F. A. GEAR, J. E. GUNN. 

